Most of you probably know that the next book in the Bolitho series is Band of Brothers. I stumbled upon the website of his literary agent which mentions another book Heart of Oak, which continues on with Adam's story.

Most of you probably know that the next book in the Bolitho series is Band of Brothers. I stumbled upon the website of his literary agent which mentions another book Heart of Oak, which continues on with Adam's story.

Interesting news about the two books being published so close to each other.

I am curious to know what happened to Dancer, and will order the book from the library.

As for Adam, I honestly think the series should have finished with the demise of Dick. I don't like Adam. I suppose I clung too tightly to his uncle.

Further to my previous post, I searched on Cambridgeshire Libraries for AK's Band of Brothers, and came up with that of Alexander Fullerton.

Although, I realise that Fullerton's is not AoS related, do you consider it a wise choice of title by Kent bearing in bind both authors bear the same Christian name and will have a book with the same title?

_________________- Mil -aka Mary ....

Mon Apr 04, 2005 11:09 am

susan

Admin

Joined: Thu Oct 30, 2003 2:32 pmPosts: 2960Location: Hawaii

Re: New Kent Books

Mil Goose wrote:

Interesting news about the two books being published so close to each other.

Heart of Oak has a "Del" before the date. Not sure what that means. However, it's not mentioned on Reeman's site yet, so it's probably not ready for release.

Quote:

I am curious to know what happened to Dancer, and will order the book from the library.

Reading the blurb, my guess is that Bolitho makes a bad mistake which directly or indirectly causes Dancer's death.

Quote:

As for Adam, I honestly think the series should have finished with the demise of Dick. I don't like Adam. I suppose I clung too tightly to his uncle.

Adam's not the most likeable character. I ended up not liking Richard very much either by the time he was killed. I would rather see more about Tyacke instead.

_________________I have the honour to be, &c.susan

Mon Apr 04, 2005 10:38 pm

HMS Charity

Commander

Joined: Mon Sep 06, 2004 12:41 amPosts: 259Location: Albany, Ore.

Frankly, I thought Band of Brothers a questionable title since it also harkens back to Nelson's term for his captains during the Nile and Copenhagen campaigns. (It may have even carried over to the Trafalgar campaign, I forget some things...)
Plus the title suggests that it deals with a number of continuing characters that will/would appear in the rest of the Bolitho novels. I do recall a few contemporary officers/captains/admirals of Richard's who could make an appearance in such a book, but how long will it be? That it is also reminiscent of the WWII saga is a questionable choice for a title, though if you wanted to write a book titled The Inshore Squadron or Sloop of War, there's nothing Reeman/Kent could do to stop you. Book and song titles can not be copyrighted, only the content of the book or song. I would like to see a midshipman book about Richard's initial entry into the navy, when he served aboard the Manxman. Of course, this would require Kent regaining some of the fire the series had in its younger days. I won't say I was tired of Richard at the time of his demise, but I'm not enthralled with Adam, although it is nice that he is a flawed character with some human traits, such as the ocassional bit of remorse. I have to wonder if the woman he seduced in Malta will reappear in the future, much as I anticipate Tyacke making another appearance in the series.
And Tyacke, I think, would be worth two or three books on his own, both as a young officer (perhaps his involvement in the Nile campaign?) and since the death of Richard.
Tyacke is, without a doubt, one of the finest characters Kent ever created.

Charity

Tue Apr 05, 2005 1:59 am

susan

Admin

Joined: Thu Oct 30, 2003 2:32 pmPosts: 2960Location: Hawaii

HMS Charity wrote:

Frankly, I thought Band of Brothers a questionable title since it also harkens back to Nelson's term for his captains during the Nile and Copenhagen campaigns. (It may have even carried over to the Trafalgar campaign, I forget some things...)

Do you think Kent/Reeman will have Dancer die on the 25th of October (St. Crispin's Day)? I guess that would be taking it a bit too far.

For he to-day that sheds his blood with me shall be my brother...

(Susan laughs as Mil runs away screaming in distress.)

_________________I have the honour to be, &c.susan

Sat Apr 09, 2005 5:20 am

HMS Charity

Commander

Joined: Mon Sep 06, 2004 12:41 amPosts: 259Location: Albany, Ore.

That's a possibility, since Bolitho must turn 18 before gaining his commission (according to the Kent/Reeman timeline) and Avenger ended on Christmas Day of Richard's 17th year, just a couple months after he turned 17 to be exact.
Charity

Sat Apr 09, 2005 5:23 am

susan

Admin

Joined: Thu Oct 30, 2003 2:32 pmPosts: 2960Location: Hawaii

Just noticed there's a Synopsis of Heart of Oak (to be released on 6 Jul of this year) on the Amazon UK site. It says Adam B's new frigate is called Onward (kind of corny) and mentions a bride-to-be (Lowenna or Elizabeth?).

A snippet:

"Adam must accept both the honour and the challenge of commanding His Britannic Majesty's Ship Onward, confronting old enemies and ambitious rivals to forge an uneasy alliance against corsairs and privateers in the Mediterranean."

Comments?

_________________I have the honour to be, &c.susan

Tue Feb 28, 2006 7:48 am

HMS Charity

Commander

Joined: Mon Sep 06, 2004 12:41 amPosts: 259Location: Albany, Ore.

susan wrote:

Just noticed there's a Synopsis of Heart of Oak (to be released on 6 Jul of this year) on the Amazon UK site. It says Adam B's new frigate is called Onward (kind of corny) and mentions a bride-to-be (Lowenna or Elizabeth?).

A snippet:

"Adam must accept both the honour and the challenge of commanding His Britannic Majesty's Ship Onward, confronting old enemies and ambitious rivals to forge an uneasy alliance against corsairs and privateers in the Mediterranean."

Comments?

So, were Athena and his duties as flag captain to Sir Graham Bethune just a passing phase? Adam is going back to command of a frigate? It will be his, what, fifth? sixth? over more than 13 years.
Personally, I'd rather read about Cap'n James...
Charity

Tue Feb 28, 2006 4:34 pm

Dr. Fred

Midshipman

Joined: Sun Jul 31, 2005 2:26 pmPosts: 32

HMS Charity wrote:

susan wrote:

Just noticed there's a Synopsis of Heart of Oak (to be released on 6 Jul of this year) on the Amazon UK site. It says Adam B's new frigate is called Onward (kind of corny) and mentions a bride-to-be (Lowenna or Elizabeth?).

A snippet:

"Adam must accept both the honour and the challenge of commanding His Britannic Majesty's Ship Onward, confronting old enemies and ambitious rivals to forge an uneasy alliance against corsairs and privateers in the Mediterranean."

Comments?

So, were Athena and his duties as flag captain to Sir Graham Bethune just a passing phase? Adam is going back to command of a frigate? It will be his, what, fifth? sixth? over more than 13 years. Personally, I'd rather read about Cap'n James...Charity

It's 1818, there won't be another major battle until 1827. The only missions to really go on are anti-slavery and anti-piracy patrols, with maybe the occasional exploration in Africa or the Pacific. Not really jobs suited to a ship of the line are they? Oh, he could get involved with the Third Anglo-Maratha War in India but that was mostly a John Company show, and in any case was over by 1819 iirc.

Besides when Hornblower hoisted his flag as Commander in Chief of the West Indies Station in 1821 his squadron consisted of 3 frigates and 14 sloops and schooners. Most of the ships of the line, except for Home/Channel Fleet and a few flagships, were laid up in ordinary. It is a mark of confidence, or patronage, to have any ship at all. In the slashed peacetime navy another frigate is just about right for Adam.

And I'd rather read about Richard's second mission aboard Undine or first aboard Tempest myself. But I doubt we'll see them. Maybe AK will give Adam a happy ending in Heart of Oak and then end the series; or at least jump time a bit to the Turkish war in '27.

_________________"Fred Bassingford is a law unto himself, Pat, as you will find out if your surgeon is as persuasive as I think he is." - Commodore John Sinclair from Broad Pendant

Thu Aug 24, 2006 2:47 am

timoneer

Moderator

Joined: Tue Apr 12, 2005 9:34 amPosts: 1471Location: Virginia, USA

Dr. Fred wrote:

Not really jobs suited to a ship of the line are they?

From Susan's and Aaron's earlier posts, Adam has a frigate, not a ship of the line and the action is against "corsairs and privateers in the Mediterranean." Click Herefor the UK Amazon link. Seems, at the moment, that the UK edition will be released January, 2007 and the US edition in March, 2007.

Dr. Fred wrote:

Maybe AK will give Adam a happy ending in Heart of Oak and then end the series...

If we are taking votes on ending the series, I vote that Reeman continues it as long as he is able. I even hope that Reeman will leave some good notes and the series will even continue after his death (may his death be well in the future! Here! Here!). John, you can always just stop reading them. Please don't condemn the rest of us to a Bolitho-less world.

Don

Thu Aug 24, 2006 4:24 am

Dr. Fred

Midshipman

Joined: Sun Jul 31, 2005 2:26 pmPosts: 32

Don, I think you mis-understood me. I agree with Adam's posting to a frigate and tried to show why I believe it to be the correct choice. I was under the impression that Charity was a bit dismayed by it. On the surface it does seem like a step back after all. BTW, Charity, Onward will be Adam's fifth frigate; the other's having been: Anemone, Zest, Valkyrie, and Unrivalled.

I enjoy the series as well, Don, I just don't paticularly care for Adam is all. And I know that all things, even naval fiction series, must eventually come to an end. Perhaps it is time to close this chapter of the Bolitho story and move on to a completely new one set a hundred years later showing the Bolitho decendant that fought in the Great War and perhaps even the Second World War as well. Or go back in time to the Anglo-Dutch Wars of Captain Daniel Bolitho.

And I'd like to see Douglas continue to write for many years to come as well, he is my favorite author of naval fiction you know. But I'm also a realist. Douglas is 82 years old and has not been in the best of health the last few years. He has more than earned honorable retirement. It would be selfish of me to insist that he keep working at this point. If he wishes to on the other hand, I'll be more than happy to try and steer him in a direction that I prefer.

_________________"Fred Bassingford is a law unto himself, Pat, as you will find out if your surgeon is as persuasive as I think he is." - Commodore John Sinclair from Broad Pendant

Thu Aug 24, 2006 1:01 pm

timoneer

Moderator

Joined: Tue Apr 12, 2005 9:34 amPosts: 1471Location: Virginia, USA

Dr. Fred wrote:

Don, I think you mis-understood me. I agree with Adam's posting to a frigate and tried to show why I believe it to be the correct choice. I was under the impression that Charity was a bit dismayed by it. On the surface it does seem like a step back after all.

John, You’re correct, I did misunderstand you. I would agree with Aaron that it would be nice if Adam Bolitho was promoted into a SOL but your points are valid. In addition, it is very understandable that such things as remaining in frigates happen as a military shrinks during the transition from a wartime footing to one of peace. The competition for a SOL must have been fierce after 1815. And, as you pointed out, SOL did not have much to do for the period shortly after 1815. That makes Reeman’s decision very understandable. I can understand Aaron’s desire to have Adam progress, but, in real life, progress in any military is very, very slow during periods of peace. Following a period of war, promotions are glacial.

Dr. Fred wrote:

I enjoy the series as well, Don, I just don't paticularly care for Adam is all.

I like Adam. Different strokes... I guess.

Dr. Fred wrote:

Perhaps it is time to close this chapter of the Bolitho story and move on to a completely new one set a hundred years later showing the Bolitho decendant that fought in the Great War and perhaps even the Second World War as well. Or go back in time to the Anglo-Dutch Wars of Captain Daniel Bolitho.... If he wishes to on the other hand, I'll be more than happy to try and steer him in a direction that I prefer.

Good ideas, why don't you go to his website(Click Here)and contact him. I had some questions a few years ago and he actually emailed me his answers.

Don

Thu Aug 24, 2006 2:49 pm

HMS Charity

Commander

Joined: Mon Sep 06, 2004 12:41 amPosts: 259Location: Albany, Ore.

Dr. Fred wrote:

Don, I think you mis-understood me. I agree with Adam's posting to a frigate and tried to show why I believe it to be the correct choice. I was under the impression that Charity was a bit dismayed by it. On the surface it does seem like a step back after all. BTW, Charity, Onward will be Adam's fifth frigate; the other's having been: Anemone, Zest, Valkyrie, and Unrivalled.

And his first command was the brig Firefly. It just seems as though Kent/Reeman is throwing away the direct continuation of Adam's duties under Graham Bethune after "Man of War," when it would seem that there would be more to be done in the West Indies to suppress the slave trade.
Also, by this point in time, Adam has been continuously in command of frigates for more than 12 years. Very few captains managed to remain in frigates beyond that threshhold, in peace or war.

While the Navy list would be quite long at this time, Adam should be more than halfway up the list and in line for greater responsibility than merely command of a frigate. Perhaps it is Kent's intention to have Adam serve as a commodore without flag captain in this next book.

And I have e-mailed Reeman recently, inquiring about the likelihood of his writing an early midshipman book about Richard. His response was to the effect that he did not see that it would be interesting as Richard would be too junior to have any real responsibility (Though I'd argue that seeing Richard learn what responsibility is and how to handle it at a young age, even in a small way, would be interesting to the readers. I've often wondered how big of an influence his first captain was upon Richard, seeing as how he held Phalarope for him.)

Charity

Fri Aug 25, 2006 4:39 am

susan

Admin

Joined: Thu Oct 30, 2003 2:32 pmPosts: 2960Location: Hawaii

HMS Charity wrote:

And I have e-mailed Reeman recently, inquiring about the likelihood of his writing an early midshipman book about Richard. His response was to the effect that he did not see that it would be interesting as Richard would be too junior to have any real responsibility (Though I'd argue that seeing Richard learn what responsibility is and how to handle it at a young age, even in a small way, would be interesting to the readers. I've often wondered how big of an influence his first captain was upon Richard, seeing as how he held Phalarope for him.)

That's a shame. I got the sense (from reading Basil Hall) that even though they were young, mids had a lot of responsibilities. Okay...maybe they weren't as glorious as those of commissioned officers. Still, that's how they developed the skills they would need later. I think it would be interesting to see Bolitho go through this development. Also, it would be interesting to see more of what his early relationship with Hugh and his father was like.

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